


Shadows Burning In the Dark

by roseandheather



Category: Code Black (TV)
Genre: Episode Tag, F/M, Fluffy Ending, Gen, Possible Spoilers, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-29
Updated: 2016-09-29
Packaged: 2018-08-18 11:29:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8160571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roseandheather/pseuds/roseandheather
Summary: Leanne Rorish is not happy, and Ed Harbert hears about it. Episode tag to 2x01, focused on the recent change of administration.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Fortunately, fanfic does not have to adhere to Jeff Hephner's availability schedule, and there is _no way_ the admin switch went down without some fallout between Ed and Leanne.
> 
> Still shipping it until the end of time.

"How _dare_ you."

_Well. That didn't take long._

"It's usually considered good manners to knock first," Ed says mildly, not even looking at the door.

" _Fuck that,"_   Leanne snarls from the doorway, and he winces. "I repeat: how _dare_ you?"

"I'm sorry," he says quietly, and turns to look at her at last. "I was wrong, Leanne -"

She cuts him off with a derisive snort. "Do you even know what I'm angry _about?_ "

_There's more than one possibility?_

"Um," he says, eloquently, and she throws her hands up in despair.

"You _idiot._ I'm not here about Campbell, not really - well, I am, but I don't blame _you_ for that disaster!"

He blinks. "You don't?"

"Of course not!" She stalks across the room, planting her hands on his desk. "I _know_ you, Ed, I know that wasn't your call! If it was, it never would have happened! No, what _infuriates_ me is that you have the _gall_ not to tell me yourself!"

 _Well, shit,_ is all Ed can think. _I really screwed the pooch on this one._

She glares at him, and suddenly he slumps, all the fight gone. Raising his hands in self-defense, he says what he should have said the moment he heard her voice.

"You're right," he says quietly. "And I'm sorry. I was wrong, Leanne. I was completely and utterly wrong. You deserve better than that, and I was a coward."

She lets out a gusting sigh, and something deep in his gut uncoils as her flint-hard eyes soften. Sinking into the chair behind her, she settles back against the cushion and studies him with a gaze that is as soft as he's ever seen it.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why didn't you tell me? Why did you hang me out to dry like that?"

He looks away from her eyes, focuses instead on the wall behind her, because... I _can't lie. Not to her._

"I fought it," he says distantly, hardly seeing the room at all. "I fought it so goddamned hard, Leanne. I argued and argued - not just for your sake, no, but because it's a terrible idea all around. The head of a department needs to - well, never mind, you know that already. But they overruled me. And I... I told you, I was a coward. Working with you these last few months has been... I don't think you know what a gift you are to - to the hospital. And I just couldn't bear to see the look on your face. I was afraid you'd think I'd betrayed you, or let you down, or that... that you'd think I didn't care. And that's the truth. I was a coward, Leanne. And I'm so sorry."

Leanne studies him for what feels like forever, something indecipherable passing through those bright brown eyes.

And then, abruptly, she stands and crooks a finger at him.

Puzzled, he walks around the corner of his desk. He still can't read her face, but her hand moves too fast for him to -

"Ouch," he says mildly, pressing his hand reflexively to the cheek she's just slapped - not enough even to bruise, he knows, but sharp enough to sting him nonetheless.

" _That,"_ she says, glaring at him again, "is for being too much of a damn coward to tell me yourself."

"I can't say I didn't deserve that," he admits, rubbing his cheek. She hadn't even hit him hard enough to turn the skin red, but even if she had, he couldn't blame her for it.

Then, to his eternal surprise, she steps forward, loops her arms around his neck, and hugs him.

She fits perfectly in his arms, soft and warm, and he can't help but bury his nose in her hair and take a deep breath, filling his lungs with the clean, fresh scent of her shampoo. It's not the first time he's held her, but the number is so low he can count them on one hand, and it takes him a moment to clear the shock from his mind and truly, honestly hug her back.

He deliberately doesn't think about just how _right_ it feels.

"This," she murmurs against the curve of his shoulder, "is for being the kind of man I wouldn't think to doubt." She tilts her head back, just enough to look up at him, and smiles -  soft, sweet, more in her eyes than on her lips. "I knew it wasn't you," she tells him, her eyes bright and warm. "I never for a moment thought otherwise."

He tries to say something and can't. There's a ridiculous lump in his throat, and his vision has suddenly gone blurry. He can't help but tighten his arms around her again, can't help but bury his face in her hair and hold on. Leanne Rorish's trust is a precious gift, one he'd hoped to earn but never quite believed he would.

He holds her for as long as she'll let him, and when she finally, gently tugs away, he's never been sorrier to let her go.

"I'd better get back down there," she says, her lips curving in a fleeting smile.

"How's Willis?" It's all he can think of to say, because he doesn't quite want her to go, not yet.

This time she grins, big and broad, and it feels like the sun's just gotten a little bit brighter. "I'm keeping him," she says flatly. "You can't take him away from me, I won't let you."

He grins before he can stop it, ducks his head and nods at her. "Understood."

She flashes him that grin again and swings out the door, but just before she vanishes, she turns around one last time. "Ed? Don't ever do that again."

Her voice is hard but her eyes are not, and when she meets his eyes, he knows she understands.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he says, and he means every word.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Epic thanks to suicidallyreckless for the post-publication beta. If you're wondering 'but what happened to -' ... well, the answer is 'she did'. :D


End file.
